I took part in a
community literacy dig this week along with 5 other peers. We formed an
observation team and chose a location in our community that we could observe
literacy at work, a local bus. We all took our places in the bus and observed
how literacy played a role in that environment. We split the observation into
five tasks: recording the physical environment, recording the people and
activities, observing conversations, recording written or spoken vocabulary
that is unique to the environment, and observing evidence of the use of
literacy. We recorded our data for 30 minutes and came together as a group and
discussed our observations.
My particular task was
to observe and record vocabulary that was unique to the environment in the bus.
This includes words or phrases that would be out of place in another
environment, but are necessary for passengers to navigate this environment.
Examples of the vocabulary I observed include, Welcome Aboard, Stop Requested,
Next Stop…, Pass, Boarding, Exact Change, BT logo. Though much
of the vocabulary was not unique to the bus environment, it does seem to be unique
to transportation environments in general. Many transportation settings such
as airports or train stations, use this vocabulary as a means of communication
that the passenger must be familiar with to successfully navigate the environment.
As we came together as a
group, we found that literacy was being used in many different forms. The
spoken word was being used by passengers to communicate with each other and the
bus driver. Some passengers had conversations, while other passengers sat
silently, waiting for their destination. The conversations were very informal
and seemed to be a way to pass the time while in the bus. Written words were used
to communicate instructions, directions, warnings, and advertisements. While
the announcements over the intercom system, maps of the bus route, and safety
warnings have an important role to play in the successful use of the bus by the
passengers, the abundance of advertisements that are squeezed above the windows
play no role in the everyday use of a bus system. They are cleverly placed to
draw the attention of wearied travelers that need a distraction while they wait
for their stop.
The written and spoken
vocabulary used in the bus can be seen as what Powell and Davidson refer to as
“situated literacy” in the article The
Donut House: Real World Literacy in an Urban Kindergarten Classroom. After
completing the literacy dig, I have found myself thinking about how I, as a
future educator, could bring the bus environment into the classroom. Just as
the students in the article wrote letters to potential investors and completed
loan applications, I expect that I could foster an environment in the classroom
that would have students creating a transportation business of their own.
It’s become quite clear
that situated literacy is engaging for students because of the real life
applications that they can identify in the activity. After being in a classroom
and feeling the boredom take hold when worksheet after worksheet is presented
to the students, it is no wonder that schooled literacy stifles imaginative
thinking as Powell and Davidson state. Children, as well as adults, need to
feel as though they are learning something worthwhile and applicable to their
lives. Situated literacy assists in building a community in the classroom and
helps students make meaning out of these types of activities. The Donut House, along with the literacy dig, opened my eyes to this creative activity and the importance of real life literacy.
I find it interesting that you pointed out the following written literacy on the bus: "Welcome Aboard, Stop Requested, Next Stop…, Pass, Boarding, Exact Change, BT logo". I ride the bus quite frequently, and I have been oblivious to many of these signs on the bus. I wonder if having a student ID and not needing to pay attention to many of these directions has caused me to largely block out the extra information. This, in turn, makes me wonder how much literacy and other information we receive on a day-to-day basis that we choose to block out because of its seeming unimportance to us. How often do students do this at school? Do they see signs everyday or a certain room design everyday and come to block out all the information that seems extra?
ReplyDeleteAnother thing that came to mind is the need to have some sort of advanced knowledge about bus literacy. If someone who does not have a bus pass does not have exact change and did not know ahead of time that they needed it then would they just not be able to ride the bus? I wonder how often we assume that students have certain vocabulary or prior knowledge about expectations that they actually do not have. I imagine that this can be a particularly difficult situation for ELLs as teachers may assume they are aware of certain U.S. practices or expectations and get in trouble when they do not follow such guidelines. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Theresa mentioned being oblivious to those signs on the bus. I find that so much of our our behavior (bus, subway, and probably much more) is based upon routine and habit. Consequently, it is those times early on when we don't have as much previous experience to rely on, which are the most interesting. That's when we notice those signs, or at least I do, lest we look like fools. Imagine the embarrassment of trying to pay for your bus ride without exact change! Maybe things are different for others, but I tend to try and figure everything out I can on my own, before I would resort to asking questions. So I read signs, look at maps and timetables, read the behaviors of those around me. Those early days in a new place are when we really need all that literacy that will become ignored. Then we can relax in our knowledge of the routine.
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